Played the 17th Annual SW Florida Open this last weekend and thought I'd give a quick review.

The course is located at a county park, so there is ample parking and amenities in the clubhouse. That's nice after a long round of chucking plastic. There is one practice putting basket near the parking area.

This course has a real "Florida" feel with the palms and sawgrass everywhere. In general there is a premium on accuracy over distance, but there are a few bomber holes here where you will need both! Mix of open and tunnel shots, hyzer and annhyzer holes, and different distances. It has just enough variety to keep you on your toes.

Pads are hit and miss: some concrete, some pavers, some carpet. Baskets are average. There are multiple basket locations which is nice if you play here often, and some are slightly elevated. Signage is decent.

Quick rundown of the holes:
1 - my least favorite on the course. Super tightly wooded with no discernable line to the basket. You can throw and hope to make it thru the trees, or some go up and over the trees and hope to plinko down to the basket. It's just luck and stupid hole design. It's short so par is most likely, but who cares.

2 - Is a straight ahead short birdie run if the pin is up, if it is back it becomes a kinda tough low ceiling shot

3 - is a mild hyzer shot thru a somewhat tight tunnel with seasonal water OB on both sides. Hard to park one, but par is doable.

4 - opens up a bit to a straight ahead shot. A few skinny trees in the fairway keep you honest, and sawgrass lines both sides of the fairway.

5 - shorter hole that prefers a sidearm shot, although there is a tiny hyzer spike line available if you're bold.

6 - wide open fairway, but lots of guardian trees make this a tough hole when the basket is in the far position.

7 - long fairly tight hole will test you to make par

8 - shorter open hole with the basket tucked into the sawgrass is its only defense

9 - is a hyzer shot to an elevated pin. Avoid the fairway trees and youre good.

10 - is a fairly easy short par 3. Use the fence for a backstop and make an ace run

11, 12 - run down a skinny path with a high fence bordering the right which defines OB. High hyzer off the pad is the common play. 12 is the longer of the two, but they are similar shots.

13 - fun short par 3. A straight to very slight turnover mid will reward you with a birdie.

14 - tight anny or sidearm shot required. Easy to find the schule if you dont hold the line. The long basket position requires a straighter or Flex line

15 - is a pure tunnel. Throw it low and straight and it will slide up to the basket

16 - is a guarded straight shot, or a hyzer depending on basket position. You must clear an early tree opening to have a good line to the basket

17 - is near the baseball field, so you get some real grass and less sawgrass which is a nice reprieve.

18 - is a water carry thru a slight tree opening from both pads. Provides just enough pucker factor for a closing hole that victory is never assured.

Hole 1 is lame in my opinion. Pray and spray. Not fun.

Tee pads are inconsistent.

A lot of relics from past versions of the course: old teepads everywhere, posts, even a metal basket pipe sticking out of the ground on 15 that is definitely a safety hazard. This all needs to be ripped out.

I've only played here a few times, but from what I've heard the course has come a long, long way. It's getting there, and I congratulate the folks who are the caretakers here. They said concrete pads are in the future, and that would go a long way to making this course really nice. And the tournament this weekend went off without a hitch so they know what they are doing.

Overall, I would recommend playing this course. At it's core, it is a good test...par is nothing to be ashamed of here. If you go, keep it in the fairway, or else wear long pants or socks. The fauna will cut you otherwise! Good Luck.

Lots of tight, through the trees shots. Good hole and fairway placements. Canopy keeps some shots low. Other open fairways allow wide hyzer shots.

The trees that were along holes 11 and 12 were removed last summer, allowing hyzer shots.

Rough is extremely rough. Dense palmettos on both sides of the fairways. If you mis-throw, it can take an hour to find your disc. Tall cabbage palms catch and trap your disc. Key is to not mis-throw your disc.

You will find normal Florida fuana. I have seen Florida Black Snakes, (harmless and protected), Florida Long Tail weasel, tortises, rabbits, eagles, hawks and other birds.

Highly recommend wearing long pants, palmettoes are the saw palmetto varity and will cut you. There is poison ivy and oak around the course and fire ants, and spiders that bite, so be careful where you walk.

Recommend having a spotter, playing your first round with a local will help you get familar with the course. Maps are available online and in the Rec. Center.

The course features typical SW Florida flora and fauna with palm, oak, and pine trees to contend with. The fairways are well defined, but often tight and with some low ceilings.

There is a good mix of hole lengths, and right/left turning fairways.

The tee pads (two sets per hole) are concrete or pavers. Hopefully, they will all be concrete eventually. Tee signs at am tees show hole locations and distance. Look for next tee arrows under the baskets.

The league/park have done a good job of cleaning up the brush, but there are still a few "palmetto hell" holes where a disc could be lost.

From what I understand, the police have chased the homeless people out of the park.

The course uses a few of the original holes, some with new pin placements etc so the course retains a little of its original style.

The course can tear you up. I recommend sturdy shoes, and long pants if possible.

A note on finding hole 1: Enter the park and go past the library on your left. When you see the brand new rec center on your right, turn into the 1st parking lot on your right (east side of the building) and follow to end. As of this writing, the pro tees are in a little grass island on the left and the am tees are straight off the edge of the pavement.

Also, I strongly encourage getting the map from the rec center before heading out for the 1st time.